In the 21st century mobile telephones and motor vehicles (many of the later models having on-board computers) are indispensable tools of life in both the developed and developing world. Using mobile telephones users are not only able to make and receive telephone calls and text messages in most populated regions of the world, but an increasing number of cellular telephones (i.e., “smart” telephones) permit one to send and receive emails and to take and send photos and videos to other users.
With respect to motor vehicles, it is estimated that there are over 1 billion automobiles, trucks and buses operational in the world today. In the United States there are 253 million automobiles on the road, with about 73% of the population owning an automobile. In underdeveloped countries where the cost of an automobile is often beyond the means of an average person motorcycles and motorbikes are often owned by the majority of people—not only as a means of single person transportation, but also as a means of transporting goods to and from market. By way of example, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest city with a population of 8 million people, there are 7.5 million motorbikes registered in the city, with another 1 million motorbikes brought into the city by migrants from other parts of Vietnam. In virtually every country, these vehicles are registered with local, state (or provincial) or national governmental entities. Similarly, other vehicles such as boats and aircrafts must also be registered with governmental authorities.
With so many motor vehicles owned and on the road, in any given location accidents, theft of motor vehicles, and other mishaps are everyday occurrences. Moreover, there is often a reason for a person to want to contact the driver, passenger or owner of a vehicle without having that person's contact information.
There are a multitude of scenarios in which it would be desirable to be able to privately and securely communicate with the operator or owner of a particular vehicle where the operator cannot be located or identified. For instance, when a vehicle operator has a collision with a parked car, and would like to leave their information, the placement of a note under the windshield-wiper is not a reliable method of communication. Further, it may not be feasible during inclement weather such as rain or snow. There are other more time-sensitive situations where the operator of a vehicle needs to be contacted but cannot be identified or otherwise located. For example, if a vehicle operator left their lights on, left their window down in the rain, left something on the vehicle roof, missing gas cap, oil/gas leak, left the vehicle gas tank lid open, illegally parked and about to get towed or ticketed, keys left in vehicle door, unsafe fluid leak from vehicle, the vehicle has been broken into, or more critically, left their pet/child in the car on a hot day with the windows up.
In these situations, there is typically no way to contact the operator of the vehicle, such as where the vehicle is parked in a parking lot or structure at a mall, shopping center, workplace, concert or sporting event. Alternatively, one may see a vehicle driving by and want to communicate with the driver for a variety of reasons. For example, one may see a particular person in the vehicle they would like to contact, or to comment or inquire about the vehicle or its features (e.g. type of wheels, inquire as to vehicle sale, custom exhaust, paint job, etc.).